The Indiana Fever fans have seen it earlier, and they are seeing it now that Aliyah Boston is made of blood, sweat, and perseverance. The star forward has faced one of the toughest defences while handling the frontcourt for Indiana. Yet, she has never bowed down.
While the Fever camp is sailing through a questionable stretch marred by injuries, Boston is having a stellar season. Despite this, she has faced her fair share of ups, downs, and knocks on the head during her stint.
Aliyah Boston Shares Honest WNBA Welcome Moment
During a recent chat on her podcast, Post Moves, Boston took her back to a rookie moment that still stings. The third-year star, fresh off her third straight All-Star nod and a historic 1,500 career points as the WNBA’s third-youngest to hit the mark, got real with host Candace Parker about her true “welcome to the WNBA” moment.
While most of the downtown fans would think that winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2023 would be the one, it’s otherwise. She’s taking the right answers only. The South Carolina alum shared an unexpected incident from her rookie season.
“Betnijah Laney-Hamilton hit me straight with the forearm right here in the center of my chest and I just remember falling. But really it wasn’t even meant for me, it was meant for my sister girl Lyss (NaLyssa Smith) who had hit her a little bit on a screen too hard and Betnijah wanted a foul call and the ref was like, ‘I just didn’t see a foul.’ She was like, okay, well you’ll see one the next time and yes, indeed they did, but I was on the receiving end of that,” Boston said (via Instagram/@postmovesshow).
That moment on the court was a reality check for Boston, who was just 21 at the time. As a rookie, she dominated and led the league with a 57.8% field goal percentage. Additionally, it earned her unanimous Rookie of the Year honors.
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Fast forward to 2025, and Boston’s thriving, averaging 15.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and a career-high 3.7 assists. Her efficiency (53.8% shooting) and playmaking (20.6% assist rate) have grown, and she’s a defensive force with 1.0 blocks and steals per game.
Fever Needs Aliyah Boston’s Rookie Mentality For Playoff Push
The Fever, at 17-14, are leaning on Boston’s leadership with Caitlin Clark sidelined by a groin injury. She can anchor the paint and set up teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who has kept Indiana in the playoff hunt.
However, the team needs her same rookie mentality that had her shrug off the hard blow. While the Fever stands at fifth seed in the league rankings with an 18-14 record, her responsibility only gets an extra load. It would be a crucial yet interesting season to watch for the South Carolina phenom.